Peek behind the curtain and learn about our new look

Emma Fried-Cassorla gives the inside scoop on the new M 

The opportunity to rebrand Mural Arts was a once-in-a-lifetime project. Take a legendary organization that is integral to the fabric of the city, add in thousands of beautiful murals and installations plus thousands of people who have been influenced directly by the organization, and you get the opportunity to dream big and push the boundaries of design and brand.

The new brand reflects the organization: artistic, vibrant, contemporary, edgy, and energetic. The strong lines of the mark show the energy and catalytic spark that Mural Arts brings to every project. It reflects the pulse of the city, the back and forth of the creative process, and is a signature for the organization that paints Philadelphia.

When looking at the new mark in the context of various collateral pieces, you see a bold and coherent system that melds the art being produced by muralists and students with photography and large, clean copy. Each program begins to have its own look and feel through the program brochures, and an overview newspaper-type piece provides visually compelling highlights from projects over the last year.

Perhaps most importantly, the new brand is flexible and open to interpretation, mimicking the participatory nature of Mural Arts — where everyone can help move the city forward through the work of art. The M has already been reimagined by artists, designers, and the public, and there will continue to be opportunities for engagement with the brand throughout Mural Arts Month and beyond. Stay tuned to J2’s blog and social media for more information about the brand process and a deeper dive into our design thinking.

Josh Goldblum details designing a dynamic website 

Bluecadet has collaborated with Mural Arts over many projects including an award winning website redesigns, apps and even a museum exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It’s a deep collaboration where we’ve come to know the organization, its audience, fans and followers – I even co-chaired Mural Arts’ first city-wide exhibition, Open Source. We’ve also paid close attention to the platforms, devices and channels that drive engagement to this unique, dynamic, and compelling organization.

The new site was built ‘mobile first’ so while the site looks amazing on tablets and desktops, it’s design and performance are highly optimized to the mobile experience. Mural Arts’ projects, programs and events most often occur outside and in the public space. A focus on mobile, ensuring the site is fast, responsive and engaging on phones and smaller screens was a huge use-case.

We also completely reimagined how Mural Arts would deliver content online. We worked closely with Mural Arts’ team to author an editorial, events and social strategy to ensure new, fresh content would be available across the site and on social platforms. We looked at how the blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and emerging social channels would seamlessly integrate to drive engagement, excitement and conversion.  The focus was on providing not only beautiful images of the murals and programs but to provide information that was timely and actionable.

Beyond dynamic content we also looked to better both show and tell Mural Arts’ story. Our content team, of writers, videographers, designers and strategists, worked closely with Mural Arts’ staff.  New videos, new stories and evocative imagery tell the story. Active editorial and social channels, events and programs demonstrate their impact.

Overall, we sought to reflect Mural Arts’ personality, activity, and impact, and engage both fans and newcomers alike.

Aimee Cicero explores that Mural Arts magic with the new app from Brownstein 

Mural Arts strives to make art easily accessible to all. And now, thanks to a new app developed by Brownstein Group, Philadelphia’s famous murals can be accessed in the palm of your hand. A web based app, all users need is a smart phone and Internet access to begin searching murals spread throughout the city.

The development team at Brownstein Group wanted to make something that was easy for everyone to use and gave both residents and visitors the chance to experience the magic of Mural Arts with nothing more than their phone and their feet. What started as a small project spearheaded by a junior designer has grown into a responsive web app that includes hundreds of Mural Arts murals in all corners of the city.

So how does it work exactly? Use the “Explore” feature to see all murals close to your current location. Click on an icon to reveal details about the mural and its artist. Users can even report any damage done to the mural. Looking for a specific artist or mural? Click on the “Search” tab and see all results that match your search. Want to go on a customized tour based on your location? Click on the “Tours” tab and select a route. The app will be continuously updated with newest murals and even has the capability to include specific points of interest like bars, restaurants, coffee shops and other famous landmarks.

Can’t get enough of our new look? Join us tonight to hear all about the brand process from our partner, J2 Design at our featured DesignPhiladelphia event!